Another stay at a Mountain View RV Park. This one in Arco, ID that lays claim to fame that it was the first town to be lit by electricity generated solely by nuclear power.
A trip down memory lane for Walt as we headed north on Highway 93 toward Challis.
This is the country he hunted and fished in when he was a kid.
This is Mackay Reservoir and Walt remembers staying at a cabin for a week with a bunch of friends when he was about 12. The parents dropped them off and they had a great time on their own for that week. Apparently cooking fish was not their strong suit.
The Lost River Range of mountains is part of the Rockies and they are magnificent with peaks from 11,000 to over 12,000 feet.
It is Idaho's highest mountain range.
The range is sedimentary rock on an earthquake fault. Steep canyons fan out from the mountain tops.
The range is primitive and little explored.
There is farming in the valley irrigated by the Big and Little Lost Rivers. The reason they are "Lost" is because they vanish into the Snake River Aquifer.
Copper mining was a way of life in these mountains from about 1879 to 1929.
The scenery reminds me of old western movies.
Nearing Challis the valley narrows and the road winds through lava cliffs.
We crossed the Salmon River. Running calm and quiet here.
This is Mount Borah. It is Idaho's highest mountain at 12,662 feet.
Climbing the peak is recommended only for very experienced hikers.
In 1983 on October 28th at 8:06 a.m. a 6.9 magnitude earthquake centered at Borah Peak shook the state of Idaho. Two children in Challis were killed while walking to school.
Mount Borah rose about 1 foot and the Lost River Valley in that vicinity dropped about 8 feet.
It created this "scarp" that extends for 21 miles. A scarp is an offset on the ground surface where one side of an earthquake fault has moved vertically with respect to the other.
We were living in Boise when the earthquake happened and I have a vivid memory of that frightening morning. Our house was shaking with light fixtures swinging leaving me rattled as well.
What I did not remember hearing about was the water. New springs and craters, called sand boils, erupted in the valley. It was the largest deluge of water ever recorded after an earthquake in the United States. They say some 400 billion gallons gushed forth.
We are always finding tumble down houses along the road and commenting that "there's our fixer-upper." This one is an upper echelon possibility. Look at how good that roof looks.
I had to include the sign we saw along the roadside in Mackay. This Vet was selling crude wood carvings and seems to have a clear set of priorities.
What a beautiful day and such a pretty drive with time for Walt to remember the fun he had in this lovely part of Idaho.
Leaving Arco we continued on to stay in Fort Hall (near Blackfoot) for a week.
Back in potato country where Walt was born and raised.
His folks potato farm was bordered by the Snake River on one side.
This is the house that he grew up in. Very different than when he lived there. It had no attached garage and now it has beautiful siding and a pretty new roof.
The huge cottonwood trees in the front yard are gone.
This is where I lived when I met Walt. On the lower right where the car is. That was December 1963 and the apartment building was brand new. What I think is funny is that it looks the same.
Yes, it does look the same. This photo was taken in October of 1963. Has it never been painted since then? If it was where did they find the 60's color paint?
This poor beat up dilapidated house was where I lived when we got married. It was such a nice house then. Makes me sad at what it has become.
We did some exploring around the area. We knew we were in Pocatello by the Idaho State Bengal footprints on the street.
A delightful afternoon was spent in Idaho Falls along the Snake River.
Years ago it was pretty but they have done extensive landscaping and now it is spectacular.
The Idaho Falls Friendship Garden was built in 2014.
The work was done by hundreds of volunteers.
In the 1980's a new relationship and cultural exchange between Idaho Falls and its sister city, Tokai, Japan began.
The relationship with it's sister city inspired the Japanese themed garden.
Idaho Falls was named for the natural rapids along the river.
Around 1900 the construction of a retaining wall for a hydroelectric power plant enhanced the rapids into falls.
The critters that live/grow along the riverbelt made us smile.
This ferocious bear came complete with a scary mouthful of teeth.
They have some of the most unique benches along the riverbelt.
This one was the best. Walt finally got to take that horseback ride he was wanting.
Idaho Falls is a place worth exploring.
Our day concluded with dinner and LOTS of visiting at this beautiful home with Steve and Sandy. Their house and yard could be in a magazine. So much fun for Walt to talk with Steve about old times and for us to catch up new happenings with them. They have hospitality extraordinaire.
Beautiful animals at their house. Some are alive and some are not. Perfect evening with friends as a start for a week-end filled with friends and fun.
"True friends are like bright sunflowers that never fade away, even over distance and time."
Marie Williams Johnstone